Tiger Stripes
by NovelistServant
Summary: Mabel accidentally stumbled upon a shirtless grunkle and is delighted to see his "tiger stripes". A gift for siro-cyll over at tumblr. Drawing belongs to them.


With the soft, warm steam coming from his mug, the pleasant early-morning sun baking his naked chest, and the cool breeze awakening his senses gradually, it would be an understatement to say that Ford was comfortable.

The breeze ruffled his fluffy charcoal-gray hair playfully before disappearing, leaving behind a still Summer's air. While it is true that he became cold easily, one of the reasons why he wore turtleneck sweaters all year-round, the star his planet revolved around warned his exposed skin pleasantly and Ford felt no anxiety nor unpleasant chill as he stood on the porch, watching the day begin.

The aged scientist sipped his hot caffeinated drink, something he had excruciatingly missed while out in the Multiverse, but over the last ten months he had been home, Ford had taken full advantage of the Columbia-imported beverage and revisited his old habits with each mug. He took in a deep breath; with Bill dead, the remarkable start to a day, his brave choice of attire, and the fact that he was back in Gravity Falls for the summer, surrounded by loved ones, Ford was flooded with a sense of peace and he felt at home.

Of course, that wasn't to say he wasn't at home on the _Stan O' War II_ with his brother; he and Stan had the time of their lives on that boat, sailing the Arctic ocean and fulfilling the dream they had shared since their childhood; and they looked forward to continuing on their adventure when the summer ended. Still, Gravity Falls has always been and always will be where Ford felt at home, felt like he could be himself, and while those characteristics applied on the _Stan O' War II_, here in the Mystery Shack two little bundles of joy made it even better.

Speaking of, she was opening random doors like the creep she admitted to being, wondering what all had changed since she and her brother had arrived for the summer. Mabel pleasantly found that, all in all, not too much had changed. Some more things had been moved into storage to make the Soos and his Abuelita's move easier when summer ended, and some things were moved around for convenience's sake, but no great change that threw the teenage girl for a loop; this was still her true home and her family was still here.

Mabel skipped to the kitchen to fix herself a cup of Mabel Juice to satisfy her appetite until her Grunkle Stan would make his world-famous Stancakes. As she poured her homemade drink into a glass, she noticed the used coffee-dipped spoon by the sink and when she looked at the coffee-pot, some of the dark, gross, adult drink was still in there, probably enough for two more servings, a second one for a sleep-hating scientist and one for Mabel's favorite conman.

Looking forward to spending time with him, as she always will, Mabel made her way to the basement to surprise Grunkle Ford with her presence. She was confused to find it empty, it being typical for her uncle to overwork, never ceasing, but maybe he wasn't in the mood to work. Or maybe he was working in another room. Mabel checked the private study on the second floor of the basement, but it too was empty. Then she checked the thinking parlor, astounded and also pleased to find it empty; if Ford wasn't working (which was a good thing in Mabel's book) then where was he?

Mabel decided to calmly roam the house for him, now halfway done with her Mabel Juice. Ford wasn't in the living room and it was unlikely that he was upstairs. Just as she was thinking to check his room, in case he went back there to drink his coffee in peace, Mabel decided to check the porch since she was so close to it. She opened the door and looked around, then made a big smile that was free from braces. Ford was standing to her right, a hand on his hip and another hand holding his mug, shirtless and enjoying the sun.

"G'morning, Grunkle Ford." Mabel said cheerfully and let the door close behind her

Ford jumped, nearly sloshing coffee on his hand, and his face turned red as he looked at his great-niece. His free arm was now crossed over his chest, trying to preserve some privacy, but it hardly mattered; he was still fairly exposed.

It wasn't uncommon for Ford to sit by the window in the _Stan O' War II_ shirtless in the morning, but back there he was assured that Stan would not wake up until nine o'clock, plenty of time to finish his coffee and cover himself again. He never had to worry about someone seeing his torso and the many ugly scars that littered his skin, but he had overlooked that his beautiful niece was an early-bird, just like him, and he had misjudged the risk of being caught.

Ford cleared his throat. "G-Good morning, Mabel. Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah, did you?" Mabel asked and stood next to him, watching the sun and blissfully unaware of how uncomfortable her uncle was.

"Y-Yes, I did, my dear." And Ford sipped his coffee to give him something to do that wasn't standing awkwardly.

Mabel also sipped her juice, smiling and happy. Ford casted glances down at her, waiting for her to make a remark or comment about him only being in his plaid pajama-pants, but she was distracted by the beautiful morning. Ford tried to move past his self-conscious fear, but that was easier said than done. Surviving out in the Multiverse had earned him a handful of battle-scars; old gun-shot wounds, scratches from monsters, chemical burns from acid, and most recently two discolored scars on his wrists and one around his neck, the burns Bill gave him as the devil tortured the scientist for information. Some scars he had received well before the Multiverse and some he had received willingly, but this was a conversation Ford was not ready to have with his innocent little girl and he hoped he could somehow avoid it today.

However, Mabel was an insightful, kind young lady, who was bound to notice when something was wrong with a loved one, so she glanced up at Ford and asked, gentle as a kitten, "Grunkle Ford, are you okay?"

Ford looked down at her and gave her a smile she almost bought. "Yes, I'm okay."

"Are you sure? Did you have another nightmare?"

Ford shook his head. "No, I slept soundly, thank you."

Mabel decided that she believed him and then looked down at his arm, about to take his polydactyl hand, but something else caught her attention and it made her smile. "I like your tiger stripes."

Ford raised an eyebrow at her. "Excuse me?"

"Your tiger stripes." Mabel clarified and softly touched some scars on his left arm that were from when a huge monster scratched him. Ford typically didn't like to be touched, but the girl was so gentle and only had the best intentions, so he held back a shiver and let her feel his skin. "They mean you're very brave. They look really cool!" Mabel's curiosity and fascination got the best of her; she moved her little hand up his arm and to his shoulder, where more scars laid. Her eyes sparkled like stars and she just kept on smiling at her uncle's body. "I especially like those big ones on your chest. Wow, you must be really brave!"

Ford bit his lip. He was completely and utterly speechless. Did she fully understand what he had to do to receive these marks, or did she believe they magically came to be when someone was brave? Did she have any idea what he had been through? Or did she really understand what she was saying at all. When Ford looked at her beautiful brown eyes, the brown eyes that matched his own, he knew that she did understand even if not fully. He wasn't sure if he wanted her to understand fully yet, but for now he could enjoy what a blessing his niece was. "Th-Thank you, Mabel. Really, thank you so much."

Mabel smiled with rosy cheek and held his hand. Ford squeezed her hand kindly in return. After a minute, Mabel pulled him to the couch by the hand and sat down, patting the seat next to her. Ford smiled and sat next to her, then allowed her to curl up against his chest and watch the sunrise. He blinked his misty eyes dry and wrapped a strong arm around her, much warmer with her and no shirt than any sweater could ever warm him.


End file.
